We appreciated that the infant harness was padded across the chest, but it didn’t tighten as well as our top pick’s harness. It took 40 minutes to build the Radio Flyer 4-in-1 Stroll ’N Trike; that was longer than it took to build many of the trikes we tested. The long build time is due to the fact that this trike has so many parts; this makes it versatile, but it’s also a pain. The tools needed—a Phillips head screwdriver, a hammer, and a wrench—are not included. This trike held up well during testing, but it’s less durable than some of the other models we tried, including our upgrade pick.
Many of today’s parents (and grandparents!) may have fond memories of rolling down the driveway—and perhaps over homemade jumps, definitely helmet-free—on an Original Big Wheel. The actual Original Big Wheel was manufactured in Pennsylvania by a company called Marx, which went out of business in the 1980s. Today’s Big Wheel (the name was sold) is lightweight, and the wheels slip a ton. It was difficult for Kate’s young son to get started on the trike, and he soon lost interest. Kate lost interest even sooner, when it took a whopping 54 minutes to assemble, mostly due to the number of decals. Jenni’s 3-year-old son also screamed in frustration while using the Big Wheel and found it didn’t move well across pavement or dirt.
And the push bar is also more loosely attached than that of our runner-up pick; this made it difficult for an adult to push the Liki in a straight path, especially one-handed. The INFANS Kids Tricycle is similar to our top pick, with more-durable steel features and a slightly easier-to-use steering mechanism. And our kid testers found it less easy to use, likely because the IFANS trike is about 4 pounds heavier than the Radio Flyer tricycle (20 pounds versus the Radio Flyer’s 16). This tricycle has four modes, for kids of different ages, and ample accessories, and it rides well on many different surfaces.
The seat should ideally include some back support to help brace a child’s trunk, especially if they’re under age 3, said Rebecca Talmud, DPT, a pediatric physical therapist in Washington, DC. They also help develop a child’s visual processing abilities while in motion. At age 1 to 2, kids can sit securely on a trike, and at around age 2½ to 3 (on average), they are able to start pedaling on their own. The first version of this guide was written by Katharine Gammon, a science writer, when her children were 1½ and 3½ years old. Kate spent upwards of 25 hours researching and testing a dozen tricycles, and she interviewed two pediatric physical therapists, among other experts.
Click the microphone in the search bar to try again, or start typing your search term. We added a bell with that classic ring to the Meridian Deluxe for a fun, charming way to alert others on the road.
Sitting in an upright position puts less stress on the lower back. The rider has less risk of strain when getting on and off the Meridian. The rider and cargo combined should be up to 300 lbs for the 24- model and up to 350 lbs for the 26- model. The high handlebars allow the rider to remain upright while riding. This reduces stress on your wrists and keeps the handlebars from bearing too much weight.
It’s sturdy, yet kids found it fun and easy to ride. Jenni’s son loved riding this trike across pavement, dirt, and even rough concrete. Despite its rigid plastic wheels, the 4-in-1 Stroll ’N Trike could handle all of these surfaces; it moved especially well on sidewalks, where it stayed stable during turns. Compared with other convertible trikes we tested, like the smarTrike and the Joovy, this one had a more-effective handlebar and sturdier wheels. It was much harder to tip this trike over, due to those sturdy wheels and steel frame, and the harness was the easiest to tighten. Jenni’s 15-month-old daughter loved riding in the infant mode, often pushed by her brother using the parent handle.
The lightweight aluminum frame means you don’t have to put in too much effort to move your trike around, while the extra-wide and luxuriously padded seat is the height of comfort. It’s only available in a 26-inch wheel size, so it isn’t ideal for anyone under 5 foot 4. This tricycle comes with a canopy, schwinn mountain bike a wide push handle for parents (it’s reasonably adjustable for caregivers of different heights), a wraparound tray and cupholder, and a storage bucket. It also has a three-point harness, and this one was easier to use than the harness on any other model we tried—it actually pulled tight, too.